Republicans urge Donald Trump and Elon Musk to end their feud

Republicans hope for reconciliation between Trump and Musk to avoid derailing key legislation and damaging the party.

As the Republican Party braces for aftershocks from U.S President Donald Trump's clash with Elon Musk, lawmakers and conservative figures are urging détente, fearful of the potential consequences from a prolonged feud.

At a minimum, the explosion of animosity between the two powerful men could complicate the path forward for Republicans' massive tax and border spending legislation that has been promoted by Trump but assailed by Musk.

“I hope it doesn’t distract us from getting the job done that we need to,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington state. "I think that it will boil over and they’ll mend fences.”

As of Friday afternoon, Mr. Musk was holding his fire, posting about his various companies on social media rather than torching the president. Trump departed the White House for his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, without stopping to talk to reporters who shouted questions about his battle with Mr. Musk.

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“I hope that both of them come back together because when the two of them are working together, we’ll get a lot more done for America than when they’re at cross purposes,” Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night.

Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, sounded almost pained on social media as Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk volleyed insults at each other, sharing a photo composite of the two men and writing, "But … I really like both of them.”